When it comes to the weight lifting world, cardio can be a very debatable topic. In this post, I am going to share my personal opinions on the ins and outs of cardio. One of the most debated questions of cardio is whether or not you should do cardio when you are trying to gain muscle and if so, when throughout the day is best to do it. I used to ask myself this same question a while ago until I finally decided to do some research on the topic for myself. From all that I have come across, it is best to separate out your cardio from your weight lifting sessions and preferably do cardio after your weight lifting sessions. This is because when you do your cardio before your training session, your body is using up energy and nutrients that could otherwise be used to build muscle.

It can be very hard to want to get after the day sometimes…especially on Mondays. However, a little positivity can go a long way. Mondays can be hard for everyone because you are coming off of the weekend and most people have to go back to work or school and the week is beginning. By viewing the glass half full instead of half empty, your day can look a lot different. Do simple things to start your week off right such as getting your car washed or prepping your meals. By doing these simple routine things, you will be surprised how much more refreshed and motivated you will feel for the rest of the week.

Going to bed and waking up early can be a difficult task for a lot of people. I think that it can be difficult for people for many reasons. First and foremost, people simply have too much to get done in one day. When you have been at work all day thinking about things that you want or need to get done at home, it can be difficult to come home, eat dinner, and go to bed. However, staying up late and getting up early is just not good for your body. In order for your muscles to recover from exercise, it is important that you get the proper amount of sleep. In my opinion, the proper amount of sleep would be anywhere from 7 to 9 hours. The reason for this 2 hour range is because some people simply do not need as much sleep as others.

Recently, in my own health journey, I have realized the importance of prepping my meals. Over the years, I have heard so many people talk about how important it is to prep your meals before hand, but I just never found time to do so. I have had numerous instances lately where I have been caught out running errands or doing day to day life type things and was unable to eat as healthy as I would have liked. This is where prepping your meals ahead of time comes in handy. Meal prepping can greatly help people with a busy lifestyle. If you already have your meals portioned out and ready to go, it is so easy to grab one and go if you have things to do. This way, you can get what you need to get done without having to worry about going off of your diet or searching for the healthiest place to stop. While there can be some very healthy options, nothing is going to be as clean as your home cooked meals.

I have decided to start posting short motivational and informational posts every Monday! They will be very easily accessible by looking to the left of the screen under categories and clicking on “Monday Motivation.” I hope that these will give you the boost you need to power through your week. We all have our off weeks and it can be easy to begin thinking you are the only one. That is why it is so important in the world of health and nutrition to encourage one another.

One of the biggest hurdles people have to overcome when losing weight is portion control. People tend to look at meals as a pleasure rather than a necessity. It is important in your weight loss journey that you avoid viewing meals as a celebratory type thing. Yes, it is perfectly fine to have birthday cake to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary meal. However, you have to avoid viewing meals as pleasure in everyday life. We eat meals for the specific purpose of becoming healthier. When you view meals as something to find happiness in, you tend to eat a lot more than you normally would. That is why we must always remember to eat for a purpose. When you eat for a purpose, you are not as focused on how good the food tastes or how much you are getting. You are suddenly more focused on the quality of the food you are eating.

It has always been mind-blowing to me how some people can have such an easy time reaching their health goals, while others can struggle so much. I was thinking on this while working out one day and it suddenly dawned on me. It all comes down to how you view your health journey. There are, of course, other things that effect your success in reaching your health goals. However, how you view the process is easily one of the most important things to consider. There are essentially two major viewpoints in the world of health.